4.8: Electrical Safety Tips
- Page ID
- 63475
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■ Do not use cords that are worn, cut, or frayed. Do not use a plug if it has deformed or missing pins. Do not use tools that have cords pulled out from strain relief. Do not use a receptacle if there is evidence of damage.
■ Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
■ Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call the electric utility company to report fallen electrical lines.
■ Stay at least 10 feet away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities. If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires.
■ If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call or ask someone to call the local electric utility company and emergency services.
■ Never operate electrical equipment while you are standing in water.
■ Never repair electrical cords or equipment unless qualified and authorized.
■ Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it.
■ If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure that they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
■ Always use caution when working near electricity.
■ If electrical equipment is used in ways for which it is not designed, then the safety features built in by the manufacturer are unreliable. This may damage equipment and cause employee injuries.
■ Do not repair electrical cords with tape! Any repairs must return the equipment to the state in which it was initially approved.
■ Do not use multi-receptacle boxes designed to be mounted by fitting them with a power cord and placing them on the floor.
■ Accident prevention tags shall be used as a temporary means of warning employees of an existing hazard, such as defective tools. As part of an ongoing accident prevention program, employers should have a system in place that allows employees to identify tools that are in disrepair. Without such a program, employees may grab a tool that is defective and try to use it.
■ An energy isolating device is capable of being locked out if it has a hasp or other means of attachment to which, or through which, a lock can be affixed, or it has a locking mechanism built into it. Other energy isolating devices are capable of being locked out, if lockout can be achieved without the need to dismantle, rebuild, or replace the energy isolating device or permanently alter its energy control capability.